Positive impact on pre-schoolers

Research has proven that musical activities have a positive impact on pre-school children.

Musical activities can increase the amount and quality of vocalisation developed in children – pre-school children find it easier to remember strings of words, phrases and sentences when ‘attached’ to a tune. They can do this through song before they are able to do it in speech.

They develop descriptive vocabulary to help them to describe the sounds of the instruments and the music.

Singing rhyming phrases helps children to increase their vocabulary by swapping rhyming words in familiar songs for fun and also helps them to anticipate what will come next.

Children have an increased ability to listen and respond to spoken instructions when they are connected to a musical activity and quickly get used to the expectation and the need to follow instructions.

Listening and responding and taking turns to ‘speak’ in musical terms (sing, play or clap) a phrase or rhythm, helps to develop an understanding of how conversation works and encourages children to become aware of others’ musical responses and to join in musical “conversations”. Very young children (from two years old) will actually listen to what others are playing or singing and will be prepared to wait for their turn or to join in with the others.

The exercising of the mouth, tongue, teeth and lips through the breathing, blowing and voice used in percussion work are all activities designed to support the children’s control of their voices. These activities have been seen to develop children’s vocal abilities in relation to their speech development.

From the Home page…..

New research from Universities of Oxford, London and Birkbeck, as well as the Institute of Education has found that children who receive some sort of early education (pre-school) are more likely to achieve better exam results and go on to earn higher wages as a result. Results from the Effective Pre-School, Primary and Secondary (EPPSE) study suggests that children who undertake early years activities can earn a projected £27,000 more during their career than those who don’t. They are also more likely to obtain better results at GCSE level, with the potential to attain seven grade Bs, as opposed to seven grade Cs. English and Maths are particularly highlighted as GCSE subjects in which those who have undertaken early years activities are more likely to do better. The research also found that the effects are shown to be enhanced for those children from less advantaged backgrounds if the provision received is of a high quality. Sam Gyimah, a former education and childcare minister, said, “Early education not only sets a child off on the right foot at school but, as this extensive research shows, has effects that last right into the workplace.” The EEPSE study launched in 1997, followed 3000 children from early childhood to the age of 16.